I decided to link this story up not because of the possibility of Smith going to New England but because of this paragraph:

Smith, who reportedly asked Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson for a trade during the 2010 season, will be  32 season in 2011. However his production as a wide receiver has yet to hit the dreaded mid-thirties wall that so many other veterans fall victim to every season.

So when did that happen? I don't recall that at all and I'm pretty sure we would have covered that. This just smells of the sports media just trying to generate traffic on pure speculation. Typing the Patriots to it insures the Boston media will run with it. Of course the Bleacvher Report jumps on it too and ups the ante to "Smith has been on the trading block all offseason"...yeah right.

Anyway if the Patriot fans think we would give Smith up for a 4th rounder I would hope we wouldn't go that cheap unless there is a guy on the board we are just in love with...hence I can see a draft day trade involving Smith but nothing prior to the draft.

Hat tip top DVMoses83 for the link in a comment thread...